Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda.

In the Lake Bunyonyi sub-catchment located in the highlands of southwestern Uganda, considerable cropland has been converted to Eucalyptus Plantations (EP) for household income diversification. Nevertheless, no studies have investigated the effects of eucalyptus plantations on soil physicochemical p...

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Main Author: Byamukama, Simon
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Kabale University 2024
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/2239
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author Byamukama, Simon
author_facet Byamukama, Simon
author_sort Byamukama, Simon
collection KAB-DR
description In the Lake Bunyonyi sub-catchment located in the highlands of southwestern Uganda, considerable cropland has been converted to Eucalyptus Plantations (EP) for household income diversification. Nevertheless, no studies have investigated the effects of eucalyptus plantations on soil physicochemical properties in the study area. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of Eucalyptus spp. on soil physicochemical properties in the Lake Bunyonyi sub-catchment. Two land use types (EPs and cropland) were used for comparison in the study area. Soil samples were collected from six locations (Kyevu, Murandi, Katooma, Muko, Heisesero, and Butenga) in Bufundi Sub County. Landsat TM/ETM images for spatial temporal variations of EP alongside other land uses, and a field survey design accompanied by laboratory analysis of soil samples were used to determine the effect of EP on selected soil physicochemical properties. The study findings on the spatial coverage of eucalyptus in the study area showed an increase of 10.3% and 26.5% between 1988 to 2005 and 2005 to 2022 in EP cover, respectively. Paired samples t-test revealed no significant differences in the soil physical properties (soil texture, moisture, and bulk density) between Cropland (CP) and EP (p<0.05). However, the study findings indicated soil pH under EP was significantly lower than that of Cropland (CP) (p<0.05). Further, there was no significant difference in soil organic matter content between EP and CP. Similarly, there were no significant differences in available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, and total nitrogen. It was, therefore, revealed that EP did not significantly affect the physical and chemical parameters of the soil, except for soil pH. Further research is necessary to fully comprehend the effects of EP on soil properties, taking into account picking at different distances from eucalyptus, successive stand ages, and management practices that were not addressed in the present study.
format Thesis
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publisher Kabale University
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spelling oai:idr.kab.ac.ug:20.500.12493-22392024-08-01T00:01:25Z Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda. Byamukama, Simon Effects Eucalyptus Tree Plantations Croplands Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment South-Western Uganda In the Lake Bunyonyi sub-catchment located in the highlands of southwestern Uganda, considerable cropland has been converted to Eucalyptus Plantations (EP) for household income diversification. Nevertheless, no studies have investigated the effects of eucalyptus plantations on soil physicochemical properties in the study area. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of Eucalyptus spp. on soil physicochemical properties in the Lake Bunyonyi sub-catchment. Two land use types (EPs and cropland) were used for comparison in the study area. Soil samples were collected from six locations (Kyevu, Murandi, Katooma, Muko, Heisesero, and Butenga) in Bufundi Sub County. Landsat TM/ETM images for spatial temporal variations of EP alongside other land uses, and a field survey design accompanied by laboratory analysis of soil samples were used to determine the effect of EP on selected soil physicochemical properties. The study findings on the spatial coverage of eucalyptus in the study area showed an increase of 10.3% and 26.5% between 1988 to 2005 and 2005 to 2022 in EP cover, respectively. Paired samples t-test revealed no significant differences in the soil physical properties (soil texture, moisture, and bulk density) between Cropland (CP) and EP (p<0.05). However, the study findings indicated soil pH under EP was significantly lower than that of Cropland (CP) (p<0.05). Further, there was no significant difference in soil organic matter content between EP and CP. Similarly, there were no significant differences in available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, and total nitrogen. It was, therefore, revealed that EP did not significantly affect the physical and chemical parameters of the soil, except for soil pH. Further research is necessary to fully comprehend the effects of EP on soil properties, taking into account picking at different distances from eucalyptus, successive stand ages, and management practices that were not addressed in the present study. 2024-07-15T08:53:47Z 2024-07-15T08:53:47Z 2024 Thesis Byamukama, Simon (2024). Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/2239 en Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ application/pdf Kabale University
spellingShingle Effects
Eucalyptus Tree Plantations
Croplands
Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties
Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment
South-Western Uganda
Byamukama, Simon
Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda.
title Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda.
title_full Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda.
title_fullStr Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda.
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda.
title_short Effects of Eucalyptus Tree Plantations and Croplands on Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties in Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment of South-Western Uganda.
title_sort effects of eucalyptus tree plantations and croplands on selected soil physicochemical properties in lake bunyonyi sub catchment of south western uganda
topic Effects
Eucalyptus Tree Plantations
Croplands
Selected Soil Physicochemical Properties
Lake Bunyonyi Sub-Catchment
South-Western Uganda
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/2239
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